Need new car!!!

[pippin]

So my car is shot.

Found out today my issues with low coolant turn out to be the head gasket. Leaking both internally and externally so the engine is pretty much on its way out. Its still driveable, but I don't want to get to the point of requiring a new car when the engine falls out. lol.

So. I'm looking for a new car.

I'm a tallish person (5'10") with bad back issues (degenerative disk disease in the lumbar region), so a small car is out of the question.

So i'm asking your advice. Ideally want to spend around $15,000, but when we went to a dealer earlier we noticed that there wasn't much different in price between old and new (looking at around $2-5 depending on the car) so it seems my amount has gone up to $20,000.

We went for a test trive today in a 2008 Ford Escape, but I'm open to suggestions. Looking more for reliability over fuel economy (spent $2100 in repairs in the last 4 months plus another $3000 that I spent last year on a car that i've had for 2 years. Lost count the previous year, but probably around $7-8K over 2 years).

Hence my hesitation for a second hand car.

So people, I'm open to suggestions!!

[photonewb]

camry's have great reliability historically

[JamesB]

years ago when test driving lots of SUV's before i found one i liked, i test drove the escape. It was ok, but had less room than I wanted. I dod not like how it handled in turns and hte steering was sloppy. the Trailblazer was a better fit for what I needed. unfortunately it has very poor gas mileage. The Ford Escape is the same vehicle as the Mazda Tribute.

Have you looked at the Saturn Vue? it was ok, but I did NOT like the electronic power steering

However the ford escape does come in a Hybrid version. Im more leaning towards something less gas using for my next car.

James

[kb5kjn]

Dodge Ram 1500 Truck...
Im 6' 230 pounds and it fits me just right. :)

[Jeff_Green]

I'd try the Kia SUV. I can't remember the name of it. Kia and Hyundai have excellent warranties which is why I would suggest them.

[kachina]

Honda Element has a lot of room for four large adults and gear. Good mileage and highly reliable. Yakima makes a solid rack for it as well. I'm 5'11" and built like a defensive tackle (at least I was before I hit 35). I have a 2003 with nearly 100K miles on it and have never had it in the shop for anything but an oil change. I will probably put another 75K miles on it before I sell it. I think the base model is at or just above your price range.

[picman]

Just got a Hyundai Santa Fe. Tried the RAV4 (poor ac), CRV (too small)
It was between the Santa Fe and the Mit. Outlander. SF had better ride and AC.
And went for less the Edmunds TMV and less than invoice.

Brian

[laawaaris]

hyundai's are really really good cars but also very underrated .... but you'll save a TON of money if you opt for one of those

[Dazed]

I just bought a 2007 CR-V and I love it. It has more room than I thought. Depending on what model/features you get, it's within you price range. I get about 30mpg on the highway.

[Wes]

You didn't give us much in the way of requirements except that you have to fit in it, it has to cost less than $20k, and it has to get good gas mileage.

I don't consider 5'10" very tall because I'm 6'5" and weigh around 300. I drive a 2003 Toyota Camry XLE 4-cyl. with about 105,000 miles. I have all the room that I'll ever need and when I take long highway trips I'll average around 35mpg. Around town I average about 28-29mpg. The Camry is second to none when it comes to reliability. Just check Consumer Reports. Personally, I have yet to find a domestic that can make the claims of reliability that Toyota does. The front seats in the 2007 Camry can almost go too far back for me to reach the pedal. Amazing for someone my size. Also, you should have no problems getting one with lumbar support in the seat.

My wife has a 2005 Camry LE 4-cyl. with about 37,000 miles. She drives 38 miles each way to/from work. She regularly gets about 490 miles to the tankful of gas.

Next year when I hand the car down to my son I'll be looking at the Honda Element. Honda's are reputed to be just as reliable as Toyota, and I'll be looking at the Element to haul gear.

That's my .02 cents worth.

[pippin]

Thats my problem. I don't have a list of strict requirements.

I have a 01 grand am right now that on days where my back is crippling me (ie I can hardly walk) I cannot get in and out of the car without being in pain. So I would ideally like to have a car with a higher clearance (not a truck since hubby has one) so i'm not screaming when I get in and out of the damn thing.

Apart from that, I have no list of requirements. I don't like how the Vue looks (yes, looks do play a part in it), but other than that, I don't care. Since I won't be hauling stuff in it that often, i don't need anything too big, but would just prefer something thats a little more reliable.

Here's what I've been looking at so far :

PT Cruiser (base model doesn't have AC)
Hyundai Tucson (base model doesn't have AC)
Ford Escape
Chevy HHR - just not too sure on the ground clearance part
Honda Accord (used)

Edited to add : it needs to have some semblance of power. My 2.4 I4 engine can't handle the hills around here. Don't care about engine size, I'm more interested how much power it can put out.

[Davidtxs]

dont overlook this SUV the Kia Sorrento my mom has one well has had two now she got Tboned and totaled the first one the side airbags saved her life no doubt about it we went in once it was settled and she said i want another one JUST like it KIA is owned by Huyndai now plus a 100K mile warranty but she has had no problem with either one shes has had
check em out
http://kia.com/sorento/sorento-safety.php

[lhdvies]

I have been driving Honda Accords since 1978 and have had zero problems with any of them. I drive approximately 3500-4200 miles per MONTH. It is hard to go wrong with Honda or Toyota. Kia and Hyundai are said to work into that class of reliability lately. That being said you could get a lemon in any car, but I would guess less likely with those companies. I have put as many as 305,000 miles on a 97 and as little as 165,000 on my 78. I now have a 2000 cpe (111,000 miles) and a 2005 sedan(57,000 miles). Decided to use 2 cars to keep from stacking all the miles on one.
Another thing I would consider would be your back situation. I would make sure the seats gave a lot of support (lumbar and side to side) Most SUV's these days ride more like cars, but some don't have the needed support for back problems. Good Luck.

[cnoise]

I've had my Nissan Xterra for six years w/only some little window glitch that I fixed. Runs like a champ and I'm pretty rough on autos.

[mattchow]

my 15k is going for a vw rabbit :D